All Battles Leave Scars
by BitterSweetDaydreams
Summary: The battle at King Stefan's castle does not leave them all unscathed. *This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so please review.*
1. Chapter 1

Three figures step out of the deceased King Stefan's castle and into the soft sunlight. In the aftermath of the battle, Maleficent is the first to speak. "Lets go home." She says, a smile of genuine happiness spreading across her face. Its nothing like the cruel sadistic smirk that has so long twisted her fiercely elegant features. Its peaceful and hopeful and beautiful. The pain of the iron net seem to have left her completely undamaged or phased. The small cuts on her face remain, although they don't seem to cause her outward discomfort. Perhaps she has already experienced enough crippling pain in her life to make the repercussions of the battle with Stefan feel trivial. However, as the three companions stand together outside the looming castle, Diaval is a different story. He's standing behind Aurora in his human form as they look outwards towards the Moors. He can still feel the bruising chains wrapped around his dragon body and feels the bleeding cuts under his clothes from the soldiers sharp blades. He's completely exhausted, he doesn't even know how he's still standing there calmly and silently. The idea of going home is tantalizing. He can already picture himself laying down on the soft forest floor, or perhaps, perching in a tree depending on what Maleficent feels like.

"Yes, mistress." He replies quietly, he doesn't waste energy saying anything else. There's nothing more to say on the matter anyway. Aurora emphatically nods her agreement as well, overwhelmed into a rare silence by the events that had just transpired. Maleficent flaps her powerful wings, sending a sharp gust of air over Diaval and Aurora. She rises gracefully into the air, her smile renewing itself as she is reminded that she is again whole.

"Diaval, you must take Aurora. I will lead the way. Into a horse." Diaval feels his body change before he can say another word. He senses four huge, black hooves planted on the ground and a well muscled body. Changing shapes doesn't mean he gets to evade the pain. His legs are hurting and his head...and, well, just about every other part of his body aches. Blood trickles down his hind leg, hidden in midnight black. He feels like hyperventilating. He doesn't want to do this now. He needs a break. He needs to rest. He needs...he needs... it doesn't matter what he needs just then. Because Aurora's blessedly light frame is already sliding on to his bruised back and Maleficent is soaring ahead with gleeful ease. He tries to put aside his pain and exhaustion, just until they get to the Moors. Then he can rest, he tells himself. Aurora is patting his neck and Maleficent is calling for him to follow so he takes a deep breath and gallops after her. He has to concentrate on each step, on not tripping over his own legs, clumsy with exhaustion. As he runs, he keeps up a mantra in his head of: _Do this and you can rest. Do this and you can rest. Do this and you can rest. _He tries to concentrate on other things rather than the fact that he can't seem to get enough air and his injuries are killing him. He focuses instead on the sound Maleficent's wings are making, his hooves on the grassy turf, the wind over the plains, Aurora breathing. He doesn't want to think about the chains restraining him, Maleficent loosing, the metallic clinking of swords and the pain, fear, pain, fear, pain. The battle in the castle felt oddly like the when he had first met Maleficent, when she had saved his life. He remembers the desperation he felt, the helplessness and terror as the merciless farmer leered down at him, ready to inflict pain. He remembers when the dogs snarled as they stared at him like dinner and there was nothing he could do but cry out and manically try to free himself. He remembers looking up and seeing not an ounce of kindness or hesitation in the man's eyes. Just like the soldiers, spears flying at him, chains binding him, crushing him. His head is hanging low and his breathing is quickening. He can feel a wound just in front of his back leg start bleeding again. Warm liquid seeping down his side. He wants so badly to lay down. Somehow, Aurora seems to sense his distress because he feels her rest a hand on his powerful shoulder and he thinks he hears her voice. He can't be sure, and maybe she doesn't know that he feels like he can barely move another two steps at this speed. He doesn't pay attention either way. He's still stuck thinking about the dogs. He has held on to his fear of them all this time. They still make him feel terrified and weak and helpless. He hates when Maleficent changes him in to one with a passion. Later, when she isn't watching, the panic and memories always overtake him and Diaval ends up shaking and panting among the trees. The soldiers at the castle were just like those dogs. Making him helpless. Making him hurt and afraid. He doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want to think about how he will probably wake up tomorrow morning screaming. He can feel the dogs breath on his face. He can hear the soldiers yelling. Feel the net. Feel the chains.

He really can't breath now, panic and exhaustion teaming up to beat him down... But they are almost to the Moor. Almost to the towering wall of thorns. Almost home. Aurora is laughing delightedly on his back at the sight. Maleficent is picking up speed. She twirls flawlessly in the air as the walls loom close. Her wings stop her at the last minute with powerful, magnificent beats. She holds out a hand and the thorns part to let them through and she doesn't hesitate to enter first. Diaval hardly sees any of this but obsidian hooves slow their tattoo. He stumbles in a trot and hears Aurora's sharp intake of breath, feels her hands tighten momentarily on his mane. He comes to a walk and trudges towards the door Maleficent has made them. He allows his head to hang and his sides heave with fast, huffed breaths. The pain returns in full swing and he can feel his whole body trembling slightly. He wonders if Aurora can tell. She must, because as they enter Maleficent's door she calls out to their winged companion. Maleficent sets her feet on the ground beside them reluctantly. She is about to help Aurora slide off of Diaval's sweat soaked back when his legs just give out on him. His huge body crumples to the forest floor and with what little control he has left, he does his best not to crush Aurora. He doesn't. As soon as he starts to fall, Maleficent whisks Aurora off of his back and safely on to the ground. The next thing Diaval knows he's laying on his side on the forest floor and he can't get up. For a moment, his hooves beat weekly at the air as he tries to roll back up right despite the pain and then he is human. The side of his face is presses in to the pine needles and fallen leaves and his body is still shaking. He groans in agony as hands roll him over, choking on the pain and lack of oxygen.

"Diaval, what's wrong? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Blond hair is tickling his face and a very worried Aurora is staring down at him, gripping his hand. He wants to respond, eyebrows furrowing as he tries to remember how to speak. Embarrassingly, he feels a tear slip down his cheek and he takes a stuttering breath. Aurora's face becomes somehow, impossibly kinder and she brushes the tear away, pulling his head into her lap. He's not sure where Maleficent is until he feel her lift away dark fabric and touch his bruised skin, hand coming away red with her faithful ravens blood.

"You're hurt, Diaval, why didn't you say something?" Maleficent asks, her voice is cool and a touch angry, but on her face Diaval can make out concern akin to what she showed at sleeping Aurora's bedside. He doesn't answer, just tries his best to focus on his breathing, on Aurora's soothing voice, on the sounds of the Moor. Anything but the pain, and dogs barking and soldiers yelling and Maleficent screaming. He doesn't succeed. Aurora begins stroking his jet black hair away and Diaval is surprised that his fear is so obvious she can see it on him. She rests a cold hand on his forehead and he suddenly realizes how warm he is.

"Fairy godmother, he's burning up." She says, her worry almost tangible. Diaval feels a faint smile defy all odds and cross his face. How good it feels to be worried about, to be loved like family. He remembered how alone he was for so long, he had been alone even when he was with Maleficent. She had been so consumed by hatred and vengeance she was never very good company. Diaval can feel things changing, can feel a slow ascent from the darkness. Things are going to be all right, he thinks. The smile exceeds it's life expectancy and survives another few seconds on Diaval's pale, drawn face. Then the pain and memories execute it and Diaval feels himself drifting far away.

"He'll be fine, Beastie." Maleficent says softly, resting her hand on Diaval's leg in an uncharacteristic attempt to comfort. Her voice is the last thing Diaval hears before his eyes close and looses himself to a land of feverish dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

**I totally forgot to do this last time, so:**

**No, I definitely don't own Maleficent.**

**Thanks SOOOO much for reading and it would be incredibly lovely of you to review! **

**Also, I really don't know what I'm doing and have never written fan fiction before, just read a ton. So please understand that I am new and doing my best! **

**And thanks a ton to my wonderfully kind reviewers last time!**

**Thanks again, mes chéris**

**And enjoy!**

As he expected, Diaval wakes up screaming. His nightmare still playing out in front of his wide open eyes. His sound of terror cuts through the silence that surrounds him in the world of the living. His reaches out desperately around him as he realizes that the world is dark. Diaval isn't scared of the dark, he's scared of what he can't see when everything's shrouded in blackness. Dark in it's self he finds kind of comforting, at least, when he knows where he is. Now, though, he's horribly confused and he doesn't like the dark at all. Where is Maleficent and Aurora? What happened? Where is he? _What _is he? With a shock he comprehends the shape of his own body and panic crashes in around him. Short back fur, huge paws...

"Maleficent, change me back! I told...Maleficent!" his voice is raw and terrified in the blackness that always matches the shade of his hair, feathers or fur. He's curled into a miserable, trembling ball when his cry is answered less than a second later. Maleficent's strikingly pale face is visible even in the oppressive blackness, ivory skin glowing as if lit from within. Her horns and her dark clothing however are swallowed up in the night. Diaval has decided it must be night although he's not sure of anything else.

"Diaval, what is it?" She asks, exuding a calm that Diaval finds absurd and a little infuriating considering every fiber of his being is oozing anxiety. She places one hand softly on Diaval's trembling shoulder and the other briefly on his forehead. "Your fever is up." Aurora has appeared behind Diaval, rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes. She sits down beside him and stares with huge, concern filled eyes. She chooses his free shoulder to hold, a firm but gentle anchor to reality.

"Change me back, Maleficent, I told you...no dogs! Please change me back...please." He sits up too quickly and groans as he is reminded of his injuries. In a characteristic act of kindness, Aurora pulls him over to lean on her shoulder, which he does half willingly and half because he doesn't have the strength to do anything else. "Why a...why a dog, mistress?" The sound of his own voice is alarming. The desperation in it almost overwhelming. "Just not this...anything..." He's not entirely sure if he's making sense anymore.

"You're not a dog, Diaval, you are a man." Maleficent is as collected as ever, even after hearing his incoherent, feverish rant.

"No! I'm..." He can't even see in the dark anyway, but he knows what he is. He can feel the skin that he hates wearing.

"You're speaking to me, aren't you? I do not believe dogs have that particular ability." There is slight amusement in her voice, its covering something else, something more sincere. Diaval isn't sure what yet.

"Don't make me...I don't..." _ I don't want to wake up in foreign skin._

"It's all right, bird. You're sick, that's all. You're human, I promise." It's Aurora's kind voice this time, as she wraps one warm arm around his bruised shoulder blades. She speaks softly, but Diaval hears her even over the sound of his own pounding heart and gasping lungs and the sounds of the Moor that he now recognizes as familiar and reassuring. He smiles at the pet name, remembering the first time he met Aurora face to face. The memory comes to him out of his foggy and fever addled mind with stunning clarity.

"Now go to sleep, Diaval. I will not change you." It's Maleficent's way of saying _You're safe. Trust me. _

Even through the fear and the pain and his morphed judgement, Diaval half believes her. But still, Diaval doesn't want to go back to sleep, he doesn't want to blink. He doesn't want to wake up alone and afraid and hurting. He feels Maleficent and Aurora stir to leave and a fresh batch of desperation and distress fill him up.

"Don't..." He murmurs. "Stay." He has been so stoic all these years. Kept any fear, uncertainty or sadness to himself. He has never showed weakness, only humor and unwavering loyalty. He's too exhausted to pretend now, too sick, too scared. He can't even bring himself to be embarrassed by the piteous plea.

Maleficent takes his hand and Aurora lays down besides him. It reminds him of his baby sister all those years ago. He tries not to think about what happened next. Tries not to think about the dogs. He opens his eyes wide in the darkness, in case one sneaks up on them and takes Aurora and Maleficent from him. He doesn't want to loose his second family too. Not to a pack of mangy uncivilized beasts. "No dogs." He says aloud, as if saying this will deter any nearby canines from disturbing them.

Maleficent squeezes his hand softly, "No dogs." She agrees. The strange, unidentifiable emotion is back in her voice, something that Diaval hasn't heard before. Well, except when they were at Aurora's bedside, wondering if she'd ever wake up again. Its guilt, he realizes, just as he closes his eyes again, listening to Aurora's soft steady breathing beside him. He wells down the flood of panic that comes with the sound, reminding himself that she won't need true loves kiss to wake up this time.

"I'm sorry you were hurt, Diaval." Comes Maleficent's voices, floating into his mind from far away. Her voice tugs him back into full consciousness. For a delusional moment he's not sure if she's really speaking or if it's his imagination.

"This'll heal." He mumbles quietly, resting one unsteady hand on his bandaged side.

"You didn't have to fight that battle with me." Regret weighs on her tone.

"Yes, I did..." this game is exhausting, guessing what she wants to hear. He decides to just tell the truth, that makes it easier.

"Why?" There's genuine curiosity in the query.

"'Cause you're my family. You an' Aurora." He startles himself by saying it aloud. His slightly slurred words hang in the air between them like an invisible, fragile rope and for a long moment neither of them dare disturb it. Diaval breaths out in to the silence half wishing he could chase after his words and snatch them from the air before they reach Maleficent's ears. Not because they're not true, but because Diaval has a terrible feeling that Maleficent is going to laugh at him. Like most sane creatures, he's not a fan of rejection or dismissal.

"I know, Diaval." He's not quite sure what to make of her response. He decides to save it for when he can think clearly. For now though, it's enough.

He feels himself drifting off and manages to say one more thing. "No dogs."

"No dogs." Maleficent replies softly. So softly he almost doesn't hear her. Diaval finally allows himself to begin to drift off again, wondering what he'll dream of, half accepting the inevitability of nightmares.

"I love you both." Maleficent says to the darkness when she is sure that her raven and her beastie are asleep. Diaval smiles slightly at her words, wondering if this is real, before falling asleep completely. Maleficent is awake for a long time after, staring out into the night as fireflies and other glowing creatures flutter past; thinking about Diaval and dogs.


	3. Chapter 3

Diaval can feel warm sunlight on his skin. Filtering down through the trees. Blinking his eyes half open, he manages a small smile as he watches Aurora play with a delicate and exquisite woodland creature. He is propped up against a tree outside, Maleficent and Aurora had insisted it would do him good, and he hadn't argued. He agreed with them, and even if he didn't, he wasn't sure it was a fight he could've won. At least not in his current state.

So he's sitting under the trees, drifting in and out of consciousness, feeling ever so slightly better, but not all together well. It's only been a day and his wounds are bandaged, but healing, bruises still sore, but fading.

"Aurora." he calls out, his voice is weak and she doesn't hear him. He tries again and then gives up with a sigh. Having just woken to the warmth of the sun, he is curious where Maleficent is. She must be around here somewhere. He decides he should go look for her and stands up, an action that takes a gigantic effort. Swaying, he glances around for Aurora, but she has accidentally wondered some distance off chasing some beautiful forest creature. Unsteadily, he makes his way in to the forest.

"Mistress?" His voice comes out cracked and hoarse and he clears his throat. "Mistress?" No answer. The minutes blend together as he stumbles on. He's suddenly very thirsty and his search becomes half for water, half for Maleficent. At one point, he thinks he hears the trickling of water and wanders towards it for what seems like hours only to find nothing. He doesn't remember the Moors ever being so big or so confusing. He feels like a hatchling who has lost sight of his family during a flying lesson. Mind confused and desperate, throat burning and body sore, he keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

He's really not feeling well anymore. He finds himself clinging to each tree for dear life. "Mistress?" He's finally facing the ridiculous truth that he's completely lost, sick and alone. The forest is so warm it feels like the trees around Diaval are burning. Everything feels hot. Even the air in his lungs. Then the next minute it's freezing cold and Diaval is trying to remember if it really is summertime. Panting for air and vision blurring, he looses track of his feet and finds himself splayed out on the mossy forest floor. His hands are stinging from trying to halt his rapid and unplanned descent on a rough barked tree. Looking up, he freezes.

Deep black eyes meet golden ones. Diaval stops breathing, staring, transfixed, at the creature in front of him. It lowers it's head a half inch, black nose sniffing the air and paws shifting almost imperceptibly. Diaval doesn't dare move. He thinks maybe he should yell, or run, or do something, anything; but he just stares, lying prone on the piney ground. They stay like that for what seems like hours to Diaval but he knows is closer to minutes. Then, as if it coming to a sudden decision, the wolf turns away and seems to glide soundlessly away, disappearing in the brush without making one leaf stir. Diaval doesn't move until his eyes close of their own accord and his head falls softly on to a mossy pillow.

Diaval knows he's moving before he opens his eyes. He's up in the air, something rough holding him up under his knees and behind shoulders. Swaying back and forth, back and forth. Diaval forces his breathing to ease and keeps his eyes closed, silently assessing the situation...silently, at least, until whatever he's lying on jolts suddenly. He can't contain a moan of pain as his fresh injuries are jostled roughly. Thankfully though, his captor takes no notice. Inside, Diaval's mind is racing. Where is he? How will he escape? Is he lying in a tree somewhere, being rocked by the wind? Perhaps he hasn't been captured at all. Maybe he's up in a tree and this is just a cruel joke Maleficent has decided to play on him-letting him fall asleep as a raven before making him human. Whatever he's laying on does feel a lot like a tree-but then why is the ride so bumpy? Diaval doesn't hear any wind. Still recovering, the constant movement is making him feel ill. Deeply frustrated Diaval decides just to look and see for himself. He opens his eyes slowly, blinking at the blurry mess his eyes present him with. At first, he can't make out anything except green and brown and flecks of blue. All a swaying, tilting, fuzzy blur. After a few blinks though, he can make out a tree of sorts above him...a few more blinks and he realizes its Balthazar. Diaval isn't sure what to think. The looming, grumbling figure had always intimidated him a bit, but on the other hand, he was pretty much the opposite of a dog, and that had to count for something, didn't it?

_Dogs. Wolves. Same thing. _

Diaval remembers with a start. Long face. Huge paws. Fearless golden eyes in the woods, meeting his. But Diaval isn't fearless. Right now, suddenly, he's terrified. Suffocating, crippling panic surges in around him and before he knows it he's flailing, gasping, nearly falling out of Balthazar's steady hold. "Calm." The words comes to him suddenly and it takes him a minute to realize the voice was Balthazar's. He's never understood a word the Moor dweller has spoken before right now. Miraculously, Diaval feels his heartbeat slow slightly, his breathing even and he realizes how exhausted he is, still. Eyes falling shut, the steady swaying begins again, rocking Diaval into an almost peaceful sleep.

"-Idiot, what were you thinking? You could have been-Aurora was-" Maleficent's voice seems to fade in and out. "-Thezar hadn't found you then-" He opens his eyes and a blurred image appears above him. It makes him dizzy so he shuts his eyes again, head falling lethargically to the side as he reaches up to grab Maleficent's shoulder.

"Shhh," he mumbles before falling back asleep rather abruptly, leaving Maleficent fuming.

"Idiot. Could have killed himself."

"He wasn't thinking straight, Fairy Godmother." Aurora says reasonably. They are sitting in a grassy clearing on opposite sides of the sleeping Diaval. Balthazar is standing a few yards away, tall and stoic and silent, magnificent head turned towards the trio.

"Balthazar, thank you." Maleficent says, bowing her head respectfully in his direction.

"For you, anything." His low voice hums in his strange speech Maleficent easily deciphers. He bows low and gracefully and disappears into the woods without a sound.

"I should have been paying better attention." Aurora sighs regretfully. She rests a hand on Diaval's forehead, pleased to find his fever almost completely gone. He's resting more peacefully than she's seen in days.

"Nonsense. It's his own fault." Maleficent glares down at Diaval's tranquil expression-finding it hard to be truly angry. She had been more concerned and afraid than anything else when Aurora had called frantically for her after she'd discovered her injured friend missing.

Aurora helps Maleficent pull the exhausted Diaval to his feet, which draws him back into consciousness. "Mhhm?" he groans hazily.

"You're fine." Aurora reassures him quickly, and one side of Diaval's mouth tugs upwards in a weak but genuine smile. Every since Aurora had become a part of their odd little clan, Diaval had felt less like a slave. She had brought out kindness and compassion in Maleficent that Diaval had never known. The long, dull, lonely years were over. Diaval was no longer a simple tool of Maleficent's, no longer bound by his debt to her. He could call her a friend now, almost. Someday, certainly. Looking back on those years, servant to a wingless fairy who's bitterness and anger infected everyone around her, Diaval was glad it was over. Those years had stripped him of his identity. His body shifting from feathers, to fur to pale human skin without his permission or control. But he understood Maleficent, he understood her pain and the reason for the darkness of those years. It wasn't a darkness like the night, not the kind you could wear like a blanket when you sleep. Darkness like a windowless room. Suffocating and unnatural.

But there would be no more pain, and no more darkness. Diaval's sure of that.


End file.
